5 Min
PRODUCT INFORMATION AND INFORMATION ON ADVERSE EVENTS REPORTING IS AVAILABLE AT THE END OF THE MODULE
Content developed by AFT Pharmaceuticals in association with CIG Healthcare Partnership.
© 2026 CIG Healthcare Partnership
July 2026
AN OPIOID EPIDEMIC
Opioids have a place in pain management, but their use comes with risks and side effects that need to be considered and monitored. National Patient Safety Improvement Programmes are working to reduce long term opioid use to improve patient care and reduce adverse effects.1
THE FACTS ABOUT OPIOID USE IN THE UK
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OPIOID-RELATED DEATHS IN ENGLAND AND WALES NEARLY DOUBLED BETWEEN 2012 AND 2024, RISING FROM 22.9 DEATHS PER MILLION PEOPLE TO 44.5 DEATHS PER MILLION PEOPLE.2
39 MILLION OPIOID DRUGS WERE PRESCRIBED IN ENGLAND IN 2024/25, AT A COST OF £270 MILLION.3
IN ENGLAND, OPIOID-RELATED HOSPITALISATIONS ROSE BY 49% OVER A DECADE*, WITH AN ESTIMATED HEALTHCARE COST OF £137 MILLION.4
*Opioid-related admissions 2008-2018
IN 2024-2025, JUST OVER TWO-FIFTHS (42%) OF UK ADULTS IN TREATMENT IN ENGLAND WERE THERE FOR PROBLEMS WITH OPIOIDS.
Despite a decrease in the proportion of people in this group over time, it remains the largest substance group, with 138,255 people.5
THE APPROPRIATE RECOMMENDATION OF OVER-THE-COUNTER OPIOIDS IS CRUCIAL TO HELP MITIGATE THE RISK OF DEPENDENCE AND ADDICTION.